Hexagram 60: Jié (Limitation)

The Judgment

Jie intimates that (under its conditions) there will be progress and attainment. (But) if the regulations (which it prescribes) be severe and difficult, they cannot be permanent.

节：亨。苦节，不可贞。

Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)

'Jie intimates progress and attainment:' - the strong and weak (lines) are equally divided, and the strong lines occupy the central places. 'If the regulations (which Jie prescribes) be severe and difficult, they cannot be permanent:' - its course (of action) will in that case come to an end. (We have the feeling of) pleasure and satisfaction directing the course amidst peril. (We have) all regulations controlled (by authority) in its proper place. (We have) free action proceeding from the central and correct position. Heaven and earth observe their regular terms, and we have the four seasons complete. (If rulers) frame their measures according to (the due) regulations, the resources (of the state) suffer no injury, and the people receive no hurt.

彖曰：节，亨。刚柔分而刚得中。苦节不可贞，其道穷也。说以行险，当位以节，中正以通。天地节而四时成，节以制度，不伤财，不害民。

The Great Image

(The trigram representing) a lake, and above it that for water, form Jie. The superior man, in accordance with this, constructs his (methods of) numbering and measurement, and discusses (points of) virtue and conduct.

象曰：泽上有水，节；君子以制数度，议德行。

The six lines

1. Line 1 (first): The first NINE, undivided, shows its subject not quitting the courtyard outside his door. There will be no error.

   'He does not quit the courtyard outside his door:' - he knows when he has free course and when he is obstructed.

   In plain words: Not going out of the courtyard: no fault. The first line is at the start of limitation, with the second line in front of it; it knows this is the time to hold back and stays in. The Great Commentary quotes it to say that the noble person is careful and discreet and does not let words out. The Small Image says it knows when the way is open and when it is blocked.

   初九：不出户庭，无咎。 象曰：不出户庭，知通塞也。

2. Line 2 (second): The second NINE, undivided, shows its subject not quitting the courtyard inside his gate. There will be evil.

   'He does not quit the courtyard inside his gate. There will be evil:' - he loses the time (for action) to an extreme degree.

   In plain words: Not going out of the gate: misfortune. The second line is strong and central; the third and fourth lines ahead have already cleared the way, and it should go out and act, yet it holds back and misses its moment. The Small Image says it misses the time completely.

   九二：不出门庭，凶。 象曰：不出门庭，失时极也。

3. Line 3 (third): The third SIX, divided, shows its subject with no appearance of observing the (proper) regulations, in which case we shall see him lamenting. But there will be no one to blame (but himself).

   In 'the lamentation for not observing the (proper) regulations,' who should there be to blame?

   In plain words: Without restraint, there will be sighing; but if one recognises it and regrets it, there is no fault. The third line is weak, neither central nor correct, at the top of the lower trigram of joy, and indulgent. The Small Image asks: sighing for lack of restraint, whom could one blame?

   六三：不节若，则嗟若，无咎。 象曰：不节之嗟，又谁咎也。

4. Line 4 (fourth): The fourth SIX, divided, shows its subject quietly and naturally (attentive to all) regulations. There will be progress and success.

   'The progress and success of the quiet and natural (attention) to all regulations' is due to the deference which accepts the ways of (the ruler) above.

   In plain words: Contented limitation: success. The fourth line is yielding and correct, serves the fifth, and is at ease with limits rather than forcing them. The Small Image says it carries on the way of the one above.

   六四：安节，亨。 象曰：安节之亨，承上道也。

5. Line 5 (fifth): The fifth NINE, undivided, shows its subject sweetly and acceptably enacting his regulations. There will be good fortune. The onward progress with them will afford ground for admiration.

   'The good fortune arising from the regulations enacted sweetly and acceptably' is due to (the line) occupying the place (of authority) and being in the centre.

   In plain words: Sweet limitation: good fortune; going on brings honour. The fifth line is central and correct; its restraint is just right, so it is at ease itself and others accept it gladly. The Small Image says this is because it holds the central place.

   九五：甘节，吉；往有尚。 象曰：甘节之吉，居位中也。

6. Line 6 (sixth (top)): The topmost SIX, divided, shows its subject enacting regulations severe and difficult. Even with firmness and correctness there will be evil. But though there will be cause for repentance, it will (by and by) disappear.

   'The regulations are severe and difficult. Even with firm correctness there will be evil:' - the course (indicated by the hexagram) is come to an end.

   In plain words: Bitter limitation: holding on brings misfortune; if one repents, regret vanishes. The top line is at the far end of limitation: restraint pushed too far becomes misery. The Small Image says this way has come to its end.

   上六：苦节，贞凶，悔亡。 象曰：苦节贞凶，其道穷也。

Line positions

4 of the six lines stand in their proper place (strong lines in odd places, weak lines in even places).

The second and fifth lines hold the central places of the lower and upper trigrams; both are strong, so they do not correspond.

Of the three pairs of corresponding places (first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top), 1 pair is made of one strong and one weak line.

Strong lines belong in odd places and weak lines in even places; the second and fifth are the central places; first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top correspond, and they "respond" when one is strong and the other weak.

These are structural conventions, not scores of good or bad fortune. Commentators differ: Wang Bi treats the first and top places as beginning and end without fixed yin or yang positions. Read each line with its Small Image and the whole hexagram.

Place in Jing Fang's eight palaces

Jing Fang grouped the 64 hexagrams into eight "palaces" of eight, each headed by a doubled trigram. Changing the lines of the head hexagram one by one from the bottom gives the next five; the last two are the "wandering soul" and "returning soul" hexagrams. The Kan palace runs: Kǎn (head), Jié (1st change), Zhūn (2nd change), Jì Jì (3rd change), Gé (4th change), Fēng (5th change), Míng Yí (wandering soul), Shī (returning soul).

A recorded case from Takashima

Jie to Zhong Fu: holding shares for a higher price: A business friend asked where share prices were heading and received the top line of Jie, "bitter restraint; persisting brings misfortune; regret vanishes". Takashima said shares, like a water source, should flow rather than be dammed; the top line was the limit, and holding on to corner the market for a higher price would end badly, so sell now. The friend sold that day, and the price fell soon after.

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English text: James Legge, The Yi King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882), public domain, as transcribed by the Chinese Text Project. Chinese: the received text. Offered for study and reflection, not as prediction.

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